Veterans and Asbestos
Service men and women of the
U.S. Armed Forces have faced several challenges
during their lives, including one that probably
did not even know about: the difficulties they might
encounter if they were exposed to asbestos.
Asbestos is an inexpensive,
fire-retardant material that was widely used in
the military during World War II.
It
was used to build ships, automobiles, aircraft and
sleeping quarters. In fact, asbestos so impressed
those that used it that the Navy in 1939 mandated
its inclusion on all new vessels.
From
WWII until the 1970s, Navy crew members and shipyard
employees faced innumerable opportunities to be
exposed to asbestos.
Even military personnel that
did not directly work directly with asbestos may
have come in contact with the toxic substance through
second-hand exposure. This occurs by coming into
contact with someone who handles asbestos or works
in an area where asbestos was recently installed
or removed.
In the same year the Navy mandated
asbestos on their vessels, the Navy’s Surgeon General
recognized the health concerns by asbestos exposure.
As the health effects of asbestos became more widely
known to the public, the military began phasing
out asbestos-contaminated products in the 1970s.
The
Environmental Protection Agency attempted to ban
asbestos in 1989, but the full ban was reversed
by the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals in
1991. Even though the reversal of the ban was a
large setback in terms of asbestos safety, several
high risk asbestos products are no longer able to
be manufactured.
Asbestos exposure is known to cause several asbestos-related
diseases, including lung cancer, asbestosis and
mesothelioma cancer. Exposure most often occurs
by inhaling airborne asbestos fibers. Once these
microscopic fibers reach the lungs, they have the
potential to become lodged in the lining of the
lung, eventually causing inflammation and scar tissue.
The built-up scar tissue can restrict breathing
patterns and reduce lung function.
Although asbestos-related diseases can take as
long as 10 to 50 years after exposure to develop
symptoms, their diagnosis often comes with a short
survival rate. The average
life expectancy for mesothelioma patients is
anywhere from four to eighteen months.
Veterans represent a significant portion of mesothelioma
patients and the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs
recognizes mesothelioma as a service-connected medical
condition. If you are interested in learning more
about how VA claims work, please feel free to visit
Facebook, Twitter, or Asbestos.com.
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